In the film the Tramp (played by Chaplin) joins the circus as an inept janitor only to be exploited for unintended laughs by the cruel owner. The Tramp falls in love with the owner’s stepdaughter. However, she loves the tightrope walker, and the Tramp walks the tightrope himself in an unsuccessful attempt to win her heart.

Chaplin distanced himself from The Circus for many years, as the film reflected a troubled period in his life. The studio burned down during production, and scenes showing Chaplin’s harrowing stunts on a tightrope were ruined when the film stock was damaged. (The scenes were filmed again, but Chaplin felt they were inferior to the original.) Chaplin also suffered a nervous breakdown during filming, causing completion to be delayed for months. The Circus has the dubious distinction of being the only movie he does not mention in his autobiography, My Autobiography (1964). He kept The Circus out of circulation for more than 40 years until he agreed to a reissue in 1970, when he also made some cosmetic changes to the film.